1/10 Image credit: Twitter 7th Pay Commission: The hope of central government employees hinges on a few steps taken by the government, which directly or indirectly relate to the 7th Pay commission; though the government has said it is not thinking along those lines at all.

2/10 Image credit: Twitter These moves are surrounding the minimum pay and fitment factor hike. The government in June 2016, revised the minimum pay to Rs 18,000 from previous Rs 7,000 per month, along with fitment factor of 2.57 for central government employees. The employees, however, resented this seeking fitment factor of 3.68 times with minimum pay scale of Rs 26,000.

3/10Image credit: TwitterThe employees expected that the government would hike minimum pay to Rs 21,000 and fitment factor to 3 times. Several minister including Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley gave their assurances that a high level committee will look into the matter.

4/10Image credit: TwitterSalaries of Lt. Governors have been increased by the government to a level that the 7th Pay Commission had recommended for secretary level officers. The LG will now be getting the pay equal to the secretaries at the centre.

5/10Image credit: TwitterFollowing the 7th Pay Commission award on January 1, 2016, the senior most bureaucrat in the country, Cabinet Secretary, gets a salary of Rs 2.5 lakh pay per month, while a secretary rank official is able to draw Rs 2.25 lakh per month.

6/10Image credit: TwitterNow the decision of hiking Lt. Governors' salary has been taken just months after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2018-19 Budget announced the revision of emoluments of the President, vice president and governors.

7/10Image credit: TwitterThe FM Arun Jaitley earlier reported stated that he would prefer to pick and choose lower-level employees and pay hike accordingly rather than salary hike for middle-level employees.

8/10Image credit: TwitterThe broad middle-level employees, some reports said, would not see much of a raise, mirroring the erstwhile trend of income polarization, thereby shrinking middle-level staff in various departments of the central government.

9/10Image credit: TwitterThe central government employees, whose salaries are based on pay matrix level 1 to 5, expected hike in minimum pay scale to Rs 21,000 from Rs 18,000 from April 1, 2018, but they are still waiting, amidst reports that fitment factor will be hiked from 2.57 times to 3 of the basic pay that they received in the 6th Pay Commission.

10/10Image credit: TwitterFresh reports say that Over 50 lakh Central Government Employees are expected to get a good news next month, in August, related to hike in fitment factor and minimum pay beyond the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. If reports are to be believed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi can make an announcement regarding minimum pay and fitment factor hike by 3.68 times beyond 7th CPC or 7th Central Pay Commission on Independence Day, August 15.